Multiple outlets report that Australia’s overall participation rate has stalled compared with global peers, and argue that expanding employment among older workers could help address skills shortages. PerthNow and The West Australian both cite an estimate that the stalled participation rate costs the national economy about $29 billion each year. The coverage focuses on a potential increase of about 240,000 older workers joining or remaining in the workforce. Both sources frame the proposal as a way to add experienced labour to sectors affected by skill demand, rather than relying solely on other labour supply measures. The articles do not outline detailed policy mechanisms in the provided excerpts, but the shared theme is that participation rates could be improved by targeting barriers that affect older people’s work participation. Overall, the reporting links workforce participation gaps with broader economic and labour-market impacts and presents the older-worker workforce expansion as a potential response to skills shortages.